Is this usual? I'd like to know if it's just me.....

[hildasmuriel]

We went to Inventions last week. As we booked in with the maitre d' he asked for our room number. I said we weren't staying at the DLH. He then asked for my phone number. I just blinked and then said "my PHONE number?". I was puzzled because we were just about to go in, so it wasn't like they would have to ring to cancel my table or something.

Anyway I gave my number but Dtr was worried he had taken it down wrongly. She was fussing about this as we were shown to our table and I said " it doesn't really matter - it's not like he's going to phone me". The waitress turned and said "No, it's just in case you leave without paying for your meal"

I was a bit openmouthed at this. I have never encountered this before, either at Disney or any other place I've eaten - whether it is table service or all-you-can-eat buffet. I have to say that, were I the sort of person to do a runner, I would not be giving out my real number anyway.

I suppose it must have happened a lot for them to have this policy but it made me feel uncomfortable - I just can't express why exactly. I actually would have preferred them to take the €112 charge there and then and just charged me for the drinks later - at least that way they would have a credit card to chase if we did run.

So - is this usual? Would anybody else feel a bit put out by it? Feel free to tell me it's just me, BTW,

 

[nl's mummy]

just a thought but back in september we were there and stayed at DCR, we ate at cafe mickey one night and when we got home about a week to 10 days later we got a call asking if we had eaten at cafe mickey and a couple of other places because there had been contaminated fish with listeria and they warned me of symptoms etc and when to seek help....

maybe they were asking for this reason of contact tracing...

just a though

 

[I_Heart_MK]

I agree that I would feel a bit odd about this. We ate at Inventions for lunch last time we were there (they didn't ask for my phone number then), and for us it was our most expensive meal and we were already a bit worried that we were a bit out of place in such an expensive restaurant, so being asked this definately would've tainted the moment for us LOL!

Christine xxx

 

[lilacgems23]

If you had eaten it surely youd of been ill long before they called you, waiting 2 weeks to tell people isnt very good.

 

[dpleith]

I think it is a precaution against theft and to be honest I think it is valid as there is so much going on that it is easy to walk away without paying. The security in the whole park struck me as being very lax with many opportunities for dishonesty. Probably just me ... 30 years in the police service makes you a tad cynical.

 

[Carrie_Cat]

I don't see how this would work

You walk off without paying and they phone you and then what ?

They can't get your details from your phone operateur like that and it's their word against yours that you were there in the 1st place and that you didn't pay etc etc

Imagine if someone gave your number as a fake number instead of their own

I've never heard of it been done here in France and we eat out a lot

Wonder if she meant it as a joke or something

 

[Ware Bears]

So - is this usual? Would anybody else feel a bit put out by it? Feel free to tell me it's just me, BTW,

No, it's not just you ~ I'd feel a bit out of sorts too. I quite agree that if you were going to do a runner then you'd be giving a false phone number.

It's a very odd thing to do ~ if they're having a problem it would be far better to either pay on arrival such as at Agrabah Cafe/Restaurant des Stars or to take an imprint of the credit card as many pubs serving food do as what good is a phone number to them anyway?

When I phoned to book my restaurant reservations last week I was surprised they didn't ask where we were staying like they always have done in the past (they actually phoned us at the Explorers one time to ask if we could change a reservation to an hour later) but wanted my phone number instead. Is this new too?

We've booked to go to Inventions for my birthday dinner so I'll be prepared for them to ask for our number and if they don't I'll be crowing on here about how we must look honest and you must look shifty

 

[nl's mummy]

If you had eaten it surely youd of been ill long before they called you, waiting 2 weeks to tell people isnt very good.

apparently not - it can take up to 4 weeks i think...and i cant exactly remember when they called us may have just been within the week.

 

[Roon]

No I don't really like things like that. I can appreciate numbers being taken when making a booking as they may need to contact you, but not when you are actually there for the meal. I would feel I was being watched all the time and not enjoy it.

 

[TheTizardFamily:0)]

I too would feel very uncomfortable in this situation.

Also, have no idea what they would gain from having a phone number? Anyone could give a fake number or just not answer, and even if they were to answer if a person is dishonest enough to leave a restaurant without paying why would they return to pay after a phone call??

Surely taking payment for the food upfront would make more sense

 

[elstoleno]

I can half understand why they would ask for it because my class ran a photography auction a couple of weeks ago and once someone bought something we took their name, phone number and address! (and yet apparently we've still been unable to get some people to pay!!)

But they should really take the information at booking, not at the door, thats bad manners I guess, could completely ruin the mood if you're being accused of being the kind of person who would skip paying the bill!

 

[PrettyP]

I stayed at DLH last December and every morning when we were queuing for breakfast at Inventions they asked me for my Disney card thingy (can't remember what it's called, the card you can use to charge purchases anywhere in the parks to your room) and never asked anyone before or after me in the queue. There was always a long queue and they walked up and down the queue asking people how many were in their party but I always seemed to be the only person asked for my card.

One morning my mother and sister went down for breakfast at 8am and were not asked for the card and when I arrived at 9am I was asked for the card and again was the only person in the queue who was asked. After a few days I started to wonder was there something wrong with me!!! It made me feel very uncomfortable.

If they had been asking everybody I would have said fair enough, they have to check so that people from outside aren't coming in for a free breakfast but why walk along the queue and ask me and nobody else in the queue? I didn't like it at all. It made me feel like a thief. And I hate to be judgemental in either direction but there were people who looked much better dressed than me and some much worse dressed than me so is it us middling people who are the thieves???

 

[Orion33]

I just booked this restaurant and was asked for my phone number so I gave it. I honestly didn't see a problem it didn't occur to me there was anything wrong with them having my number and then I saw this thread. I work in a Disney restaurant myself and YES if not vigilant the number of walkouts and thefts in Disneyland is surprising. Believe me if I could take the numbers and then phone them after to give them a piece of my mind I would

 

[Ware Bears]

I think the reason the OP was posting about this was because she was asked for her number when she checked in - which does seem to be unusual. I think it's standard practice to be asked for a contact number on booking (well, it seems to be most places where we eat at least) but it does seem rather odd to be asked for it when you arrive.

Are you still enjoying life living so close to Mickey - not that I'm jealous of course!

 

[hildasmuriel]

Blast from the past - I had even forgotten this had happened!

It did make me smile now to think of my daughter making a fuss about such a thing. Now she would roll her eyes in a world weary way at having such a stupid mother and having to go to such an uncool place as Disney.

So re-reading this thread brought back some happy memories of a time when she was not a surly teen. Thanks!

 

[Jonjo]

Blast from the past - I had even forgotten this had happened!

It did make me smile now to think of my daughter making a fuss about such a thing. Now she would roll her eyes in a world weary way at having such a stupid mother and having to go to such an uncool place as Disney.

So re-reading this thread brought back some happy memories of a time when she was not a surly teen. Thanks!

Disney will become cool again when she gets a bit older and clicks that mum will pay for a holiday where she can do her own thing with some of friends. Or as my friends teen daughter says "Looking at all the nice French boys on a Sunday afternoon".

 

[Disneyfanswicklow]

Blast from the past - I had even forgotten this had happened!

It did make me smile now to think of my daughter making a fuss about such a thing. Now she would roll her eyes in a world weary way at having such a stupid mother and having to go to such an uncool place as Disney.

So re-reading this thread brought back some happy memories of a time when she was not a surly teen. Thanks!

OMG she is gone off Disney????? Nooooo when did that happen - I used to love reading your trip reports she was always so cute too - I met you in the que for RCRacer on our last trip Feb 2011 - recognised you both immediately from being on here - my eldest (who will no longer join us ) thought I was crazy and was sure you would think me some kind of stalker when I started chatting to you My 14 year old is still as addicted as me fingers crossed it lasts a little longer

 

[hildasmuriel]

OMG she is gone off Disney????? Nooooo when did that happen - I used to love reading your trip reports she was always so cute too - I met you in the que for RCRacer on our last trip Feb 2011 - recognised you both immediately from being on here - my eldest (who will no longer join us ) thought I was crazy and was sure you would think me some kind of stalker when I started chatting to you My 14 year old is still as addicted as me fingers crossed it lasts a little longer

I remember - happy times! I think if they get to 14 and are still Disney mad, you're okay.My daughter hates everything she use to love - the colour pink, chatting nonstop, Disney, me.....but especially me People keep telling me she will turn back into a human being again one day. Maybe as Jonjo says, she'll be taken with the idea of "Looking at all the nice French boys on a Sunday afternoon".